


Graveyard Shift

by aqd



Series: tumblr prompts [9]
Category: D.Gray-man
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Awkward Flirting, Ficlet, Fluff, M/M, One Shot, Short One Shot, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-05
Updated: 2017-11-05
Packaged: 2019-01-29 23:03:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,848
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12641097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aqd/pseuds/aqd
Summary: “Are you sure you don’t want any help?” Lavi asks for the nth time today and Kanda darts him a wary look.“I told you to restock the snacks,” he answers and hauls up a beverage crate. Lavi doesn’t miss how his shirt spans around his upper arms every time he does. His eye stays another moment on his biceps, before he tears his gaze away and flashes a short smile at Kanda, who – of course – doesn’t return it.(Prompt: "Let me walk you home.")





	Graveyard Shift

**Author's Note:**

> incarnandine, thank you very much for the prompt. I hope you like it :)

Lavi can barely keep his eye open. It’s 4 am and there’s no customer to be seen. The gas station is nearly completely deserted and Lavi has spent the last hour organizing soft drinks and porn mags. Normally he likes the graveyard shift, because the payment is better and he can get away with reading the half night, since there are barely customers at this time of the day. Only a few truckers, some kids and a very friendly and probably insomniac old lady.  
  
But today it’s particularly quiet. The only other present soul is Kanda. Or Yuu-chan like Lavi likes to call him and suffer every time. Kanda takes care of restocking, while Lavi guards the register and tries not to fall asleep.  
  
“Are you sure you don’t want any help?” he asks for the nth time today and Kanda darts him a wary look.  
  
“I told you to restock the snacks,” he answers and hauls up a beverage crate. Lavi doesn’t miss how his shirt spans around his upper arms every time he does. His eye stays another moment on his biceps, before he tears his gaze away and flashes a short smile at Kanda, who – of course – doesn’t return it.  
  
“I already did. Come, let me help you.” He puts his book down and casually climbs in a fluent motion over the counter, before he lands light-footed on the other side. Kanda unfortunately misses his stunt, because he’s already back at hauling crates. His arms look even better up close. “What do you want me to do?”  
  
Kanda raises a brow, examines his lanky form and then points at some empty crates. “Put those away and make sure to not break your stick arms,” he deadpans and Lavi laughs a little too loud, like he always does when Kanda attempts to joke. Or maybe to give him shit. Lavi has no idea and he doesn’t care, because at least Kanda started to acknowledge him, before ignoring him and his blathering for weeks. He takes a crate and promptly drops it after a few steps. The empty bottles scatter all over the floor and of course one rolls under one of the shelves. And so Lavi is on all fours and hopes that at least his ass looks nice out of Kanda’s direction. He only snorts and keeps taking care of the crates.  
  
They work in silence and Lavi perfects darting looks at him without Kanda noticing, but only until he reties his long hair and now Lavi is openly staring, because it’s the first time he sees him with loose hair. Long inky strands nestle to his cheeks and shoulders and Lavi needs a moment to notice that Kanda is looking at him with a deep frown. He ties his hair up without looking away and Lavi laughs awkwardly and flees behind a shelf to organize some gummy bears.  
  
“You keep staring at me.” Kanda stands all of a sudden behind him and Lavi nearly drops one of the bags. He darts a glance over his shoulder, before looking quickly away. Kanda’s frown looks even more awe-inspiring up close.  
  
“Are you done with the beverages?” Lavi asks without answering, because his brain is too busy freaking out to come up some snappy reply. Too his surprise Kanda doesn’t insist on an answer, instead he sighs and disappears into the storage room. “You need some help?”  
  
“No.”  
  
“Okay,” Lavi answers slowly and then he sits back down behind the register and reads. Or at least he tries to, because Kanda’s back at lifting heavy things and even takes off his shirt after a few minutes. Now he only wears a tank top and Lavi comes to know that his shoulders look even nicer than his upper arms. He’s quite sure that Kanda is messing with him, since he keeps darting looks into his direction. He gets his proof when he suddenly stops and cracks a smirk at Lavi, who – of course, why not – blushes instantly. Kanda snorts and keeps working.  
  
“Idiot,” he says after a while and sounds way too smug.  
  
“Poser,” Lavi counters with a smile and doesn’t even pretend to read anymore. “Yuu,” he asks after a minute and a frown flashes over Yuu’s face, like always when Lavi uses his first name. At least he passes on the little _chan_ at the end, mainly because of strategic reasons.  
  
“I’m not taking the tank top off,” he deadpans and Lavi starts to laugh, before getting serious. Kanda examines him and raises his brows.  
  
“Do you…” He pauses and swallows. “Um.” Great, of course he’s blushing. Lavi clears his throat and stares at the shelf behind Kanda. He’s finally gonna do it. “Um, like, uh.” Finally. “Um, do you…?” Totally finally. “I want to ask, uh…” Okay, maybe not finally.  
  
“Do you have a stroke?” Kanda asks bluntly and Lavi laughs, before laying a hand over his eye.  
  
“Yuu,” he whines, still laughing. “For fuck’s sake. You know what I want to ask.”  
  
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Kanda answers casually, obviously enjoying Lavi’s misery.  
  
“Stop being such an ass.” Lavi gets up and stretches, only to wince when his back cracks. “I have no idea why I keep doing the same shifts as you.”  
  
Kanda just looks at him and his raised eyebrows say more than any words. _You know exactly why you keep doing the same shifts as me_. Of course he does. Lavi’s eye wanders to the clock at the wall. It’s nearly the end of their shift.  
  
“Yuu, I want to treat you breakfast. If you want to,” he adds quickly and his cheeks feel way too hot. Kanda takes his sweet time and carries some empty crates to the storage room, before he delivers Lavi from his anxious waiting.  
  
“No,” he says dead seriously and Lavi falters, blinks and does a step back, before he slowly nods.  
  
“Okay,” he answers tonelessly and wanders back to the register to cash up. “That’s okay. Totally okay. Like, really okay.”  
  
Suddenly Kanda stands next to him and examines the bills in Lavi’s hands. “I don’t like eating out. Especially breakfast.”  
  
Lavi falters once more, before he slowly starts to smile. “Okay?” He looks at him and Kanda meets his eye.  
  
“Hurry up.” He turns around and walks off, leaving Lavi more confused than anything.  
  
“And then?” he asks and quickly counts the money in his hands. Kanda doesn’t answer, instead he locks the door and then he leans against the wall and waits for Lavi to finish, before putting the money into the safe. “Yuu?” Lavi asks a few minutes later while slipping into his jacket. Kanda examines him for a long moment and his face is unreadable.  
  
“Let me walk you home,” he suddenly says and takes Lavi completely by surprise. He stares at him with mouth agape, before he nods eagerly.  
  
“Yes!” He winces at the – way too excited – sound of his own voice and Kanda rolls his eyes, but doesn’t say anything. “I mean, if you want to.” He waits until Kanda gets his jacket and then they leave together through the backdoor. He watches him locking the door and shifts his weight from one foot to the other. As soon as he’s finished they start walking in silence through the darkness and Kanda is even in the weird orange light of streetlamps beautiful. They lock eyes for a moment and Lavi smiles at him. “Thank you for walking me home. That’s nice of you.”  
  
“Nah,” Kanda replies and shoves his hands into the pockets of his dark jacket. “I just don’t want your lanky ass to get robbed. Who’s gonna do the graveyard shift with me, if you die?” he deadpans and Lavi starts to laugh.  
  
“Stop being such an ass,” he says for the second time today and bumps their shoulders together. “You just don’t want anything to happen to me, because you like me.”  
  
“You know that defamation is a crime. You’re on thin ice,” Kanda replies seriously, but there’s a glint in his dark eyes, barely visible. Lavi keeps laughing and his eye wanders to Kanda’s hand, which is half in and half out of his pocket. He takes a deep breath, gathers all his courage and then he reaches out to take his hand, while cautiously watching him. Kanda doesn’t turn a hair. He just looks at Lavi, while he curls his cold fingers around Kanda’s warm ones. “You need gloves,” he says after a moment and intertwines their fingers. “You fucking weirdo.”  
  
Lavi bursts out laughing, tension gone in an instant. They keep walking next to each other in silence and Kanda’s hand feels warm and a little callous in Lavi’s own. Sometimes they lock eyes and Kanda doesn’t even give him shit for his hot cheeks. Instead he just moves his thumb over the back of his hand.  
  
“Yuu,” he says after a while and smiles at him. “We’re nearly there.” He points at his apartment building and Kanda nods.  
  
“Okay, I’ll walk you to the door,” he answers calmly and wants to keep going, but Lavi stops, still looking at him. Kanda raises his brows and his eyes wander to their joined hands, because Lavi presses his fingers.  
  
“Do you want to come in? And drink a tea or something?” Lavi swallows drily and watches how Kanda’s thumb slowly rubs circles into the cold back of his hands. “Or eat something? If you want to? I mean, if you don’t want to, it’s cool. Really cool. I mean-”  
  
“Shut up,” Kanda interrupts him casually and before Lavi has the chance to say another word, he pulls him close, lays his other hand on the back of his head and kisses him. Lavi freezes for a moment, eye wide and lips slightly parted, before leans into the kiss with a sigh and lets go of his hand to wrap his arms around him. The kiss is soft and sweet, just lips on lips, and ends way too quickly. Kanda steps back, tucks a loose strand of hair behind his ear, and takes Lavi’s hand to pull him with him. Lavi follows him, a little giddy and face way too hot, until they stop in front of his apartment building.  
  
“Do you…?” Lavi asks with a smile, but Kanda shakes his head. He doesn’t look flushed in the slightest, just a little smug.  
  
“No, I’m tired as fuck and have to work later,” he answers and Lavi nods. “Tomorrow?”  
  
“Okay.” Lavi laughs silently and presses his fingers. “Sounds good. Oh my fucking god,” he adds after a moment and now he’s really laughing. “I can’t believe that happened.”  
  
Kanda shushes him and kisses him again, even shorter and not without whispering _Weirdo_ against his lips and making him laugh, before he draws back and turns around with a last long look. “See you tomorrow.”  
  
“Bye Yuu,” Lavi answers still laughing and watches him disappearing behind a corner, before he finally goes inside and smiles all the way up to his apartment.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you very much for reading!


End file.
